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We are looking for ideas for a Grand Canyon high adventure trek for 2010. Scouts involved will be 13 and older and through the 7th grade. Any ideas or suggestions will be forwarded to our high adventure planning group. Any questions will be responded to as quickly as possible.

 

thanks in advance

 

yis

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Three years ago, our unit did a trek down to the Havisu Falls village of Havisupai. The area is west of the national park, on the south side, and doesn't go down to the bottom of the canyon. But its a true Grand Canyon adventure.

 

About an 8 mile hike from the rim, 2000 feet down through the village and onto the falls area another 2 miles further down the canyon. The village was shocking, but the falls are spectacular.

http://www.havasufalls.net/

You will need reservations to camp at the falls.

 

It was bittersweet. The hike down was spectacular and challenging. The falls area is incredible and breathtaking. The hike out is equally challenging and rewarding. But the village is an experience. The poverty of the village is apparent and the living conditions of the tribe is hard to get over. But you don't stay in the village, you continue your trek another 2 miles down the canyon to the camping area. The camping area is like shangra la. Aqua blue water in the river, terra cotta lined waterfalls, swimming in the pools, cottonwood trees lining the canyon floor. Springs of fresh water coming out of the canyon walls. Just spectacular.

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Here's another article on the seedier side of Supai.

 

http://www.backpacker.com/june_2007_features_freefall_tragedy_in_the_grand_canyon/articles/11033

 

The murder took place 6 months before we went down, but I didn't learn about it until this article came out.

My wife and some of the other scout mom's were going to do their own trek down the following fall after hearing our glowing reports, but after reading that article, decided that it would be unwise for 4 women to do it alone without us man folk with them. So they did the Rim to Rim in the national park instead.

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I have been to the Havasu Falls campground twice and it is definitely worth the trip. One can hike further down the canyon as a day trip from the campground to the Colorado River. As far as the village goes, it is far from wealthy, but scarcely the slum that Gern suggests. Parts of South Central Los Angeles are far far dirtier and scarier.

 

It is not too demanding a trek. Your younger scouts can do this.

 

I think the only reason that the Havasupai reservation does not get more traffic is its remoteness. The trail head is not difficult to get to as the roads are all paved. It is just a long way from everything else.

 

The rim to rim within the National Park alluded to is far more demanding and also available on a lottery basis.

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Maybe it was the time of the year, October, but my wife didn't need any special permit (lottery) to do the Rim to Rim. They actually didn't do the whole trek, just from Rim to bottom, stayed at the ranch on the bottom and hiked back out the next day to their cars. The only reservation was at the ranch and I suppose if you do the Rim to Rim, a ride back to the other side on a bus. But the park service didn't restrict the number of people on the trail. Like they do for river trips.

 

Supai, I guess, is just like any other Indian reservation. Trash everywhere, houses and buildings in disrepair. Obese locals glowering at the visitors. A sense that drugs and alcohol are a real problem, confirmed by the Backpacker Mag article. But if you overlook that, its a wonderful place.

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As a Scout I backed the grand canyon twice. A few things to remember...

 

1. put in a request for a permit early, at least 8 months in advance they go quick (or at leas they use to)

 

2. plan water stops carefully, there are parts of the canyon where you can go for days with out finding a source of water ... well if you are going across part way down instead of all the way down to the river

 

3. remember it takes about 4-5 hours to hike from top to river and about 8-12 hours from river to the top ..

 

4, plan a head and plan for safety ... the canyon has taking many lives and the park service last I heard is now charging in some cases nasty and cost of rescue if you end up needing help

 

5. the best time of year to go we found was spring break, the canyon itself is considerably hotter then the rim and the farther down you go the hotter it gets

 

6. unless rules have changed you can bury human waste, but most pack out the paper and all of that kind of stuff ... and come to think of it I think you have to pack out even solid human waste ...

 

7. take plenty of training hikes that involve large changes in elevation and being in canyons

 

8. decided what kind of trek you want to do .. for example you can go down part way, but not go all the way to the river and go back up a different trail or the same trail .... there is a ranch - phantom Ranch - at the very bottom you can check out ... you can do whats known as rim to rim to rim ... which means go down one side, go up the other, come back down and return up the original side ... i have also heard of cases were you hike to river and go out by boat ...

 

I guess that is enough for now ... keep in mind the last time I backpacked the canyon was many many years ago as a Scout .. you will need to contact the grand canyon ranger station for current details and rules ... please feel free to ask me any questions you may have or if you need more details on something ...

 

 

Wacky Scouting to All

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

http://twitter.com/insanescouter

 

Helping leaders one resource at a time....

 

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  • 1 month later...

Touch base with the Grand Canyon Council...

 

http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/view_homepage.asp?orgkey=62

 

.....for information on their trail awards for hiking the Canyon. I've gotten their Rim to Rim, Rim to Rim to Rim, and the Supai to River segments. It's a pretty neat patch that will reinforce your Scouts bragging rights....

 

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Someone I work with pointed something out about hiking the Canyon, especially for those not from the Desert SW.

 

When considering a Canyon hike, don't just look at the temperature at the Rim....also look at the temperature in Phoenix, because the temperature at the bottom is usually within 3-4 degrees of the temperature in Phoenix.

 

That's what killed that Scout some years back...insufficient water for Phoenix temperatures.

 

Northern Arizona has been in a drought for a couple of decades now.

 

 

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As a scout I did my first fifty miler in the GC...rim-rim-rim...and Scott's advice is spot on.

 

Gotta be in good shape...35 years ago, and I still remember those trails!

 

True, it gets hot in there...after the second day, we started hiking at night to avoid the heat of the day. We'd get to our next campsite by dawn, have breakfast, and rest till evening. Some trail sections are a little tricky to walk along in the dark, but each time we tackled a rim it was during the day (long drop off some of those trails).

 

We took tents but our SM talked a Ranger at Phantom Ranch into leaving them there till we came back thru...just dead weight and we didn't need them.

 

My gear wasn't the greatest, nor my backpacking skill at that particular time, but I'm proud of hiking the Canyon...I'll never forget what it was like topping out the south rim and realizing it was over, and I had survived...le Voyageur is right, that patch is something special, especially that "RIM to RIM to RIM" patch right below it...I value it right behind my Philmont Arrowhead....

 

While my info is admittedly dated, definitely recommend light packs if going during the summer...best wishes!

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I've also heard, but not confirmed the following...

 

1) If you become injured on the trail, the Rangers will no longer "Mule" you out. Helicopter only, and you have to pay for the evac.

 

2) The Rangers now monitor more closely for rim-rim-rim hikers. They have the option to cancel your trek should they desire.

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